


dancing on the kitchen tiles (it’s all about you)

by kaleidoscopeminds



Series: soulmate patterns [2]
Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, I can't believe I'm gonna have a fic in the All Time Low Tag, I wrote tea into this as well, Kitchens are for lovers, M/M, Producer Alex, Professor Jack, more hyperspecific content for bella essentially, professor boy and producer boy are here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29023020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidoscopeminds/pseuds/kaleidoscopeminds
Summary: Running his fingers along the mark that means they’re soulmates is something he does every time he greets Jack, something he’s done during all twelve years since the colour filled their patterns. It’s a little reminder for them both. Grounding almost, like Jack is his anchor and he is a sailboat bobbing about on the swirling sea, or Jack is his foundations solid in the ground below Alex, as his life has built up around him. Or maybe it’s the other way around, Alex doesn’t think it matters. He is Jack’s. Jack is his.
Relationships: Jack Barakat/Alex Gaskarth
Series: soulmate patterns [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129169
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	dancing on the kitchen tiles (it’s all about you)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bellawritess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellawritess/gifts).



> hello hello. so. jesus christ i wrote a jalex fic. this is for bella and bella only, who was so incessantly enthusiastic about the jalex i invented for in a world of black and white that my brain was filled with these boys despite knowing very little about them. 
> 
> So bella, this is for you sweet girl, thank you for the encouragement and love, I value you huge amounts.
> 
> This is a side piece to the lashton soulmate au and it probably will help to read that but you absolutely don’t have to.

“Hey, boy,” Alex comes into the kitchen of his and Jack’s apartment, throwing his keys onto the table and shrugging off his jacket. “What are you still doing up?”

He checks the clock on the oven, it's later than he thought, and late enough that Jack should be asleep already when he’s got a class in the morning. But he’s very much not, hunched over his laptop on the dining table. Alex hangs his jacket on the back of the chair and quickly reaches out to touch Jack, scratching through the short hairs on the back of his head, brushing his hand across his shoulders in his ratty band T-shirt, down his arm and wrapping his fingers around the pattern looping around Jack’s wrist.

Running his fingers along the mark that means they’re soulmates is something he does every time he greets Jack, something he’s done during all twelve years since the colour filled their patterns. It’s a little reminder for them both. Grounding almost, like Jack is his anchor and he is a sailboat bobbing about on the swirling sea, or Jack is his foundations solid in the ground below Alex, as his life has built up around him. Or maybe it’s the other way around, Alex doesn’t think it matters. He is Jack’s. Jack is his.

“Grading,” Jack mumbles, squinting at his screen. “Should have done this yesterday but ran out of time, I was helping a student.” 

Alex heads over to fill the kettle to make tea for them both and then turns to watch Jack in the warm glow from the under-cabinet lights.

His hair is flat against his forehead, soft, which means he’s showered already and left it to dry naturally, and the rest of him is soft too; worn T-shirt that Alex thinks might be his, and grey sweatpants over long legs that are tucked up beneath him. Alex smiles a little at the sight, Jack’s legs are too long for it, but it doesn’t stop him pulling them underneath him at any opportunity. He’s typing away on his laptop, his long fingers moving quickly over the keys, and Alex’s eyes are drawn to the way his soulmate pattern moves, pale yellow like the sun on a winter’s morning against Jack’s tanned skin. His brows are furrowed, pulled down over his warm brown eyes, lit by the light from his laptop screen, and his lips are turned down slightly in a frown, and all Alex wants to do is smooth it out. He notices Jack’s glasses, slung on the other side of the dining table and picks them up, going back towards Jack.

“Hello,” Alex says, pressing his thumb into the furrows on Jack’s forehead. Jack looks up at Alex, and his face melts into a small smile immediately, eyes meeting Alex’s. Alex grins back and slides the glasses onto Jack’s face, leaving his hands cradling Jack’s head, fingers carding through his hair. He leans down to drop a kiss to his lips, because he can’t resist when Jack is smiling up at him like that. He lingers a little, softly pressing his mouth against Jack’s, tasting the coffee he’s clearly drunk to try to stay awake. “Don’t frown so much, you’ll get wrinkles and then I might go off you.”

Jack gasps in pretend outrage. “Are you saying you wouldn’t _love_ me if I had _wrinkles_?”

Alex slides his hands around the back of Jack’s neck, thumbs brushing against Jack’s jaw, and pretends to think.

“Maybe I’d have to start rethinking this relationship,” Alex says teasingly.

“Well, it sucks to be you then because unfortunately, you're stuck with me,” Jack says with a smug smile. He reaches up one of his hands to wrap around Alex’s own pattern, the turquoise just peeking through the spaces in between his fingers. Alex loves the sight of the colour on his skin that means _JackJackJack_ slipping through Jack’s own hands. “Now stop being cute and distracting me, I’ve got to finish these before tomorrow.”

“I can’t just stop being cute,” Alex says, kissing Jack again quickly before pulling away and going to retrieve some mugs from the cabinet. “It’s not a choice, it’s a way of life.” 

He hears Jack snort behind him as he grabs some tea bags and pours the water.

“How was the session today?” Jack asks, as his typing resumes. “You’re late, which usually means it was really good or it was really bad.”

Alex laughs. “Good, tonight, we’re getting there. They might actually have an album by the end of this year.”

He finishes the tea and sits down opposite Jack, sliding the second mug towards him. Jack looks up for a second, throwing him a grin in thanks, and Alex heart still dances in his chest slightly. Even after all this time, a smile from Jack in his direction never fails to make him feel like he’s struck gold, out of all the people on this earth he gets to be the one on the receiving end of Jack Barakat’s smile. He’d be jealous of himself if that were possible. 

“Who would have thought?” Jack continues as he lowers his eyes back to his screen. “That when we were nerdy music students, you would end up being a super hot music producer?”

Alex almost chokes on the sip of tea that he’s just taken.

Jack looks back up at him with amusement. “Did I say super hot? I meant super successful, sorry.” 

Alex shakes his head, a grin on his face.

“Who would have thought that you’d be a super sexy music professor?” He returns. “Did I say super sexy? I meant super serious, sorry.”

Jack laughs out loud. 

“Well, you know what they say, Producer Boy,” He says sagely, picking up his tea. “Those who can, do,” He toasts his mug towards Alex. “Those who can’t, teach.” He indicates his laptop and takes a sip of tea. 

“Shut the fuck up.” Alex shakes his head. “You’re amazing and an incredible teacher and I will take none of your self-deprecation tonight.” 

Jack just smiles a little and goes back to his laptop. 

“What papers are you grading?” Alex asks.

“Sophomore comparative pieces,” Jack says absent-mindedly. “The assignment was to pick an aspect of modern rock music and compare it to its own influences.”

“Can I help?” Alex asks, tapping his finger against the handle of his mug.

“You don’t want to help,” Jack says, shaking his head. “Most of them are really dull.”

“On the contrary,” Alex says, waggling his eyebrows at Jack. “I want to help with anything that’s going to get you into bed faster.”

Jack laughs again, shaking his head. “Well, I do know for a fact that’s true.”

“Come on, Jack,” Alex says, wheedling. “I’m good at this, I’ll be helpful.” 

“Fine, as you’re so keen,” Jack says, smirking. “Get your laptop, I’ll send you the ones I’ve graded and you can double-check ‘em. I’ve been doing this for hours I think I’m going insane and I’ve got no fucking clue what I’m writing anymore, could do with a second pair of eyes.” 

Alex grins at him and immediately bounds out the room. He quickly goes to their bedroom stripping out of his jeans and flannel and pulling on some pyjama pants, digging around until he finds one of Jack’s favourite sweatshirts, pulling it on and down over his hands. He picks up his laptop from next to the bed and heads back into the kitchen. 

Alex puts their emo throwbacks playlist on and Jack nods in approval.

“I’ve sent you some to start looking at,” Jacks says.

They work in silence for a while, Alex laughing under his breath at Jack’s comments on the papers, funny but fair, and shaking his head at some of the bad ones.

“I don’t think this deserves an A, Jack,” He says after scanning through one of them. “It’s decent content and is well argued but it’s not written very well.”

“Which one?” Jack looks up at him.

“Michael Clifford?” Alex says, checking the name at the top of the paper. “Comparing Blink-182’s sound with the first wave of pop-punk.”

Jack pouts slightly. “It’s a good paper.”

“He’s misspelt the Ramones,” Alex says, raising an eyebrow. He pauses for a second. “He’s the one that plays lead guitar in a band, isn’t he? Red-haired kid?” Alex is fairly familiar with most of Jack’s students by now from cutting into his classes before they finish with Jack’s lunch. He loves having a job where he has flexible hours simply so he can continue to irritate Jack on most Wednesdays.

Jack nods.

“You can’t give him an A just because you like him and he plays the guitar,” Alex says with a smile.

“Yeah I can, I’m the professor. And he compliments my hair so he should get extra points for that,” Jack says, folding his arms. He smiles slowly, looking at Alex. “Him and Luke Hemmings, the kid with the lip ring, call you cute husband Alex by the way.”

Alex considers this for a moment.

“An A-minus then?” Alex says.

“Deal,” Jack says, grinning, lifting his mug out to Alex who clinks his own against Jack’s. “You are still such a lead singer, such a slut for a compliment.”

“Hey!” Alex protests. “I haven’t been a lead singer in nearly ten years you can’t use that against me anymore.” 

“If the shoe fits,” Jack says, smirking. “Actually, Luke’s paper is next, I think you’ll like that one,”

Alex narrows his eyes and clicks over to the next paper which is titled _From Billy Idol to Billie Joe: How Frontmen Have Shaped Pop-punk._

Alex laughs. “Now I know this deserves an A, even without reading it.” 

“A man after your own heart, that kid,” Jack says, shaking his head.

They continue for a while, Alex occasionally commenting on some of Jack’s grades and Jack asking Alex’s opinions on some of the points in the papers. It reminds Alex of how they themselves used to be at college, studying together, usually quiet but allowing each other’s comforting and steady presence to help motivate each other. 

Alex considers Jack and himself. He's known him for close to twenty years now, and they’ve been ‘Jack and Alex’ for almost as long, their friendship shifting into relationship territory whilst they were teens with as little drama as could be possible with two sixteen-year-olds having a sexuality crisis about their best friend. They’d followed each other to college, a decision that most people that knew them had frowned upon, saying that maybe it was time to find themselves without the other, especially with the appearance of their soulmate patterns imminent. But both Alex and Jack had exhibited a characteristic level of stubbornness when it came to each other. They knew that they would be each other’s soulmate, an unquestionable certainty, an inevitability written across the sky amongst the stars they look up at, inexorably carved deep into the earth they walk on. A foregone conclusion in every mixed breath, every shared glance that said everything that needed to be said and every casual touch which had a thousand nameless implications. The denouement was them. Jack and Alex. Alex and Jack. 

Finally getting their colours had felt like an exhale, a deep contented sigh, the feeling of crawling into a warm bed after the end of a long but good day, with all the knowledge that the next day and every day after that was about to be just as good. 

At some point when the night is turning into that liminal space when it’s not quite today and not quite tomorrow and Alex has made them both another cup of tea, Alex finds himself scrolling with one hand, the other reached out across the table and lightly brushing against Jack’s soulmate pattern, tracing the curls and flows. Jack is still typing, but Alex’s hand just follows his movement, never not moving to accommodate Jack, body inherently programmed to fit Jack’s spaces. Jack stays focused on his laptop, but he’s got a soft smile on his face despite the tiredness in his eyes. 

Alex smiles and looks back at his own laptop. He doesn’t need to watch Jack, he knows every tiny nuance of his face, intimately familiar with every blink of his eyes, twitch of his brow and quirk of his lips. And if he’s smiling, then Alex is too. Inevitably. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments appreciated on my very unsure foray into jalex


End file.
